1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shingle ripper which is pushed across a sloping shingled roof and which uses a powered bladed rocker assembly to lift and remove overlapping ranks of previously installed fastener connected shingles.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
While it is common practice to install a second layer of new shingles over a single existing layer, eventually the older shingles must be removed. Shingles are taken off in the reverse order in which they were put on. Starting at the peak, ridge shingles are removed first. Once the ridge shingles are off, a specially designed tear-off shovel with a serrated edge and a fulcrum welded to the back of the shovel head is used to get behind and above the shingles. The tip of the shovel is slid down until stopped by the nails which are caught in the serrated edge. The handle is levered down to raise the front of the shovel up. Ideally the nails pop out and the shingle, which is then freed, slides down the sloped roof. Any protruding nails which are left behind should be removed or hammered down.
Tearing off roof shingles is labor intensive and a major cost factor in reroofing. Various powered machines have been proposed in the past (e.g., U.S. patents listed on an Information Disclosure Statement submitted herewith) but, insofar of known, none are in common commercial use. Perhaps this is because conditions on roofs vary from job to job as to the number of layers of shingles to be removed, the composition and condition of the shingles, the composition and condition of the underlayment of felt or tarpaper and the condition of the sheathing. Hence for practical use, it would desirable for the operator of a powered machine to be able to adjust the machine to varying conditions as can a worker with a hand operated tear-off shovel.